


Stone

by blackkat



Series: 64 Damn Prompts [59]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Established Relationship, M/M, psychic powers, this is a monster that dreams of being a drabble, this is what happens when I take cold medicine (again)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-30
Updated: 2012-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-02 17:56:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/371758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The human revolution has come! Stronger, smarter, hardier than any other humans, Soul Society's Gotei 13 is the new face of justice. The psyonic age is in full swing, and our world has never been safer. Soon, there will be a Gotei 13 division in every city! Together, the Gotei 13 and the police will wipe out crime!"</p><p>Passing underneath it, Ichigo barely resisted the urge to spit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stone

Lights flashed, and the billboard lit up like Christmas had come early. Soul Society spokeswoman appeared on the screen, beaming, and her words echoed over the crowded square.

"The human revolution has come! Stronger, smarter, hardier than any other humans, Soul Society's Gotei 13 is the new face of justice. The psyonic age is in full swing, and our world has never been safer. Soon, there will be a Gotei 13 division in every city! Together, the Gotei 13 and the police will wipe out crime!"

Passing underneath it, Ichigo barely resisted the urge to spit. Soul Society was a bunch of bullies, dictators who put the welfare of their pocketbooks before the welfare of their people. Unfortunately, people seemed to believe their lies, and called Gotei 13 heroes. It didn't help that all of the team members were the product of the "psychic generation," and registered psy users ranked Level Six or above.

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets and hunched deeper into his hood—not because of the cold, like the rest of the people around him, but to keep from being seen by the cameras that rotated slowly, giving a nearly three-sixty view of the courtyard and the stores there. Still, it was up to the usual level of Soul Society planning, and there was a big blind spot where they needed eyes the most.

Or maybe they thought thieves always came in the front door.

Slipping into the narrow alley between the museum and the gift shop next to it, Ichigo turned sideways to fit through. It wasn't even a service alley, but simple lack of forethought and building skills. Still, it was perfect for his kind. They didn't need comfort, just security and a place away from prying eyes.

A few paces ahead, the alley widened slightly, and a dark figure rose from a crouch as he approached, pushing back its hood. Ichigo nodded briefly.

"Uryuu."

The tall, lean young man frowned at him. "You're late, Ichigo. Did something happen?"

Once Ichigo was close enough, he leaned up and ruffled Uryuu's neat black hair. They were nearly the same age, and Ichigo was only a few inches taller, but it bugged him, and bugging Uryuu was Ichigo's sole reason for living. "No, nothing happened. I just didn't want to draw attention to us by hurrying, and the tram was slower than usual today. Why? Did you miss me?"

Uryuu glared at Ichigo, knocking his hand away. "Of course not." But despite his words, his dark blue eyes were a touch anxious. Too many people were too easily lost for him not to be.

With an exasperated huff, Ichigo relented, stepping back. "Whatever you say. So what is it?"

Uryuu also seemed to take a step back, mentally instead of physically. He nodded once. "The statue got moved. It's here now, instead of in storage. Apparently, some rich benefactor wanted it on display in time for his party, instead of next month."

"Damn." Ichigo glared at the wall in front of them. "When is the event happening?"

"Four days," Uryuu answered quietly. He put one hand on the wall and his eyes seemed to lose focus behind his glasses, as though he were seeing past the stone. "Best time to do it is probably now. There's a bigger project in the vault, at the other end of the building—will be until tomorrow—so the guards won't be nearby. In a few minutes you can be in and out, and then the job will be done."

Ichigo let out a slow breath. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "There's only one guard in that wing right now, and he's just a Level One. I can guide you without being noticed. Did you bring your gear?"

Ichigo shucked off his heavy, bulky sweatshirt, tossing it to the other boy. "Wearing it. You sure you'll be able to guide, even though the guard's a psy? I can always play the tourist, go in that way."

"I'm sure." Uryuu gripped the sweatshirt tightly in his fist, the only sign of tension he let through the iron wall around his emotions. "We can't let anyone see your face, can't leave even the slightest record. You know that. Szayel would kill us if you did."

"Right." Ichigo felt his mouth tighten at the name, then reached over and put a hand on Uryuu's arm. "This could be our last time," he said quietly, harshly. "Just say the word. We can disappear, Uryuu. We can find Yuzu and Karin on our own."

"How?" Uryuu asked pragmatically. "Szayel has a thousand times the resources we do, even with all your contacts and my connections. Not only would it be impossible for us to find Yuzu and Karin, Szayel would find _us_ again in a heartbeat."

Ichigo snorted and ruffled his hair again. "Aren't you smart? Ready to go? I'm starting to freeze out here."

He looked at Ichigo's tight black shirt, the equally tight black jeans. One eyebrow rose, as expressive as ever. "Really? I can't imagine why. But I'm ready." He offered him a hand. "You?"

Ichigo took a deep breath and put his hand in Uryuu's. "The Hōgyoku. It's as good as ours."

Uryuu gripped the offered hand tightly, then closed his eyes and put his other hand flat against to wall. The syntho-stone rippled slightly, rising and falling in time with Uryuu's heartbeat. And then the entire alley vanished, swept beneath a wave of motion as the whole world shifted around them. Ichigo clung to Uryuu as they flew down service hallways and corridors, past locked doors and into the museum itself. Here, people swarmed, but they flashed past them unnoticed and vanished into a quieter hall, where a single man stood at the corner. He never blinked as they went by, into the room behind him. There, a single pedestal sat in the exact center of the floor. The room was empty. The balconies above it, looking down from the next floor, were clear as well. It was almost too perfect.

 _I leave you here, Ichigo_. Uryuu's voice whispered in his head. _This good, or do you want a different view?_

Still standing beside him in the alley, Ichigo shook his head and whispered, "This is good. See you at the fountain, Uryuu." Before either of them could have second thoughts, Ichigo pulled his hand away. There was instant vertigo as the world snapped back into place around him, but he pushed that away and _jumped_.

* * *

They were both "special," Ichigo and Uryuu, both psys. They had the white birthmark on their cheeks that marked a carrier of the psychic gene, and the Talents to prove it. Uryuu could use the resonant energy—or lingering thoughts, in other terms—in a place to see every detail of its layout, or the resonance of an item to know its purpose, use, and owner—among other things. And Ichigo…

Well.

Ichigo could jump.

Teleporters were incredibly rare, with only about one in every generation. Ichigo just happened to be lucky enough to have the particular mutation that carried the right mix of Talents. Unfortunately, that meant he was valuable to some rather undesirable characters—like, for example, Szayel. But such people—corrupt, connected, and well above the law—could be useful, and that was why he and Uryuu played thief each night for a man he'd much rather see in body bag.

The world warped around him, then snapped back into place, and Ichigo appeared in the room Uryuu had just shown him, high in the corner and clinging to the balcony railing just below the camera. Thankfully, Uryuu's power was just as strong as ever, and had shorted out everything electrical in the room. Ichigo didn't have to worry about the camera any more, just about the guard. And if Ichigo were lucky, the man wouldn't even know Ichigo was there until he was already gone.

Another jump, and Ichigo was down on the floor beside the pedestal. In the glass case, stained from visitors' greasy fingers touching it all day long, lay a large crystal, as bright and clear as if it were carved from solid diamond. There were larger gems, and cleaner stones, but this one had been sculpted so exquisitely that it was easy to see why Szayel wanted it.

"You're coming with me," Ichigo breathed, his one moment of victory celebration, and then grabbed the entire thing—statue, glass case, and all—and jumped again. The world twisted again, then reformed, and he landed softly on the floor of his and Uryuu's latest bolthole, a small apartment about twelve blocks from the city's old shopping district.

Mission accomplished.

The Hōgyoku went in the safe below the bookshelf, lead-lined and charged to kill any tracers, and Ichigo quickly changed into normal clothes and was gone again, back to the city center. In the park there, the multiple secluded spots meant that no one would notice him appearing out of midair, and Uryuu knew where to meet. It was their spot, where they had last seen their…well, _sister_ , for lack of a better term, and where they had lost both her and the only parents they'd ever known.

Uryuu didn't even blink as Ichigo appeared out of midair, dropping to land beside him on the edge of the fountain. "Did you get it?" he asked.

Ichigo nodded, breathing a bit hard. Jumps were difficult, especially doing so many long distances so close together. But his stamina was getting better, slowly but surely. "Yeah. It's back at home, safe. You got out all right?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" But despite the sharp words, Uryuu leaned his head against Ichigo's shoulder with a sigh, closing his eyes. After a moment, he said quietly, "Maybe we _should_ get away from Szayel."

Ichigo put an arm around him, half expecting him to pull away. When he didn't, the redhead nodded. "We'll give him the Hōgyoku and get out. We can hide for a bit, then leave the city. There's no proof that Yuzu and Karin is here, anyway. She might be somewhere else entirely. We'll look around, see what we can find. Sound good?"

"Yeah." Uryuu stayed where he was, eyes closed, and Ichigo tilted his head back to look up at the sky. Freedom from Szayel. It seemed impossible. They had been under his thumb for so long. Now, would that all really change? _Could_ they even really get away? He might have sounded confidant to Uryuu, but his doubts were only a step away from drowning him in a sea of misgivings.

Sudden, thudding footsteps made both of them jerk upright, and they were on their feet as three men in dark grey uniforms burst into the little fountain-area. The one in the lead saw them and made a sharp gesture at his companions, then nodded at the two younger men. His gun—probably loaded with the balls of liquid tranquilizer that were standard issue nowadays—was up and pointed at the pair.

"IDs!" he snapped. "Levels and names, now!"

Uryuu flinched, and Ichigo felt anger begin to bubble under the surface. Uryuu wasn't good with hostility. It beat at him pretty hard. His biological mother—"egg donor" was truer, but too rude—had been an empath, and he had gotten a lot of her Talent. But Ichigo wasn't stupid enough to start yelling at a Soul Society cop, especially one who seemed a bit twitchy.

"We don't want any trouble," Ichigo said in a level voice, raising his hands in front of him. "We aren't doing anything, I swear."

"Levels and names!" the man repeated, a dangerous edge to his voice now. "Tell me, or I'll haul you both in for questioning!"

Even if they told him, he wasn't going to listen. Ichigo tensed, ready to do what he had to do and jump them both out of there if the situation got any worse. But before he could do anything drastic, a quiet voice cut through the tension in the air.

"Officer Ōmaeda. Stand down."

The cop spun, even as Ichigo jumped, and they both looked over at the small, black-uniformed figure pushing through the trees. Ichigo's heart instantly sped up as he recognized the white insignia of a Gotei 13 lieutenant, and his breath caught in his throat. Had he and Uryuu finally been found, after all this time?

But the Gotei 13 woman didn't make any hostile moves. She turned and faced them, bowing slightly. "Sorry if he scared you. We've had a bit of an incident, and the primary suspect is a psy. I'm afraid anyone with psy marks is liable to be mistrusted. You might want to go home for now, just until things quiet down a bit."

Ichigo grabbed Uryuu's wrist and nodded, pulling him along as he backed away. "Yes. That's a good idea. Thank you. We'll go now, if you don't need us for anything."

They were almost to the edge of the trees when the lieutenant's voice halted him in his tracks.

"Oh, what are your names and levels, just for the records?" When Ichigo looked back, she was smiling kindly, holding a digi-pad in front of her.

"Keigo," I managed to get out, pinned in place by deep, deep blue eyes. "I'm Keigo Asano, and this is my brother, Mizuiro. We're just Level Threes."

The girl smiled at him again, pulling a stylus out of her neat bun. "Don't worry; this is just so we can know who was nearby. I don't think you'll even be questioned." She made a note and checked it, then clicked the digi-pad off and tucked the pen behind her ear.

"But, ma'am!" Officer Ōmaeda started to protest.

The girl turned back to the cops, and her tone became sharp, business-like. "Their data checks out. And there's no way a Three could have pulled off this job, not even ten Threes working together. Now why don't you go try and catch the _real_ thief, instead of harassing any psys you see?"

"Yes, ma'am," they muttered, turning and vanishing back into the trees. Ichigo tried to calm his racing heart, but it was useless. Instead of leaving, the Gotei 13 officer was coming towards them, looking concerned. Behind him, Ichigo felt Uryuu stiffen again. It was too much for them, facing the Gotei 13 _here_ , just yards away from the place where this young woman's comrades or superiors had murdered their caretakers in cold blood and taken them away from Yuzu and Karin forever.

"What is it?" Ichigo took another step back, Uryuu still behind him. The officer stopped, a parade of emotions crossing her face too quickly to read. Then she shook her head and sighed, a soft, tired sound.

"Please, believe me when I say that I don't want to hurt you. It's just…your brother doesn't look well, Mr. Asano. I'm worried. Shouldn't you take him to a doctor?"

Doctors. White rooms. The stifling, choking smell of too many disinfectants and too little _life_. Pain. Helplessness. Despair.

 _No_.

Without thinking, Ichigo spun, grabbed Uryuu's arm, and ran. Only the barest thread of rationality kept him from jumping them halfway across the city, in plain view of the very last kind of person who should have seen such a thing. Uryuu ran with him, even as the girl behind them shouted. But her voice vanished before it reached their ears, lost in the screams of demons they had yet to kill, ghosts they had yet to lay to rest.

The second they were out of sight, Ichigo half-turned, pulled Uryuu tightly against his side, and jumped. It took all the effort and forethought of drawing a breath, the power second nature to him by now. Even taking Uryuu with him wasn't very hard, since he was as familiar to Ichigo as anything. Extra weight had nothing to do with difficulty jumping, only _mental_ mass. Ichigo probably couldn't have jumped the Gotei 13 girl so easily, since she was a Level Six or above—and unfamiliar, at that.

But Uryuu was easy, and that was all mattered.

They reemerged from the not-space of a teleporter's other world in their bolthole, and landed heavily, sprawled on the floor. Ichigo's skill at landings went down in tandem with his cognitive ability, and at the moment, all he wanted to do was find an outlet and _rage_. But he couldn't. If he fell apart, Uryuu would be lost, and Ichigo never wanted to see him return to his former state. Nothing in the world was bad enough to make Ichigo fall apart with that at stake.

Instead, he sat up with a quiet grunt. "Are you all right, Uryuu?"

From where he was half-sprawled under Ichigo, Uryuu groaned and shoved Ichigo off of him. "Damnit, Ichigo, why the hell aren't you eating more? Your elbows need some padding or they're going to stab somebody to death!"

Ichigo snorted as he picked himself up off the floor. "Hah. Like you're one to talk. You suck as a landing pad." Inwardly, he let out a breath in relief. If Uryuu could make nasty comments, he was going to be fine.

"Then don't land on me next time!" he snapped, also standing. He pulled off his sweatshirt and tossed it onto their sole couch, pushing up his shirtsleeves. "Are you hungry? I can make something."

For Uryuu, cooking was akin to therapy. Ichigo gave in gracefully and nodded. "Sure. We got anything good in the house?"

In the small kitchen, Uryuu checked the cupboards. "Yeah. I'll be able to make something, but you'll need to go shopping later. So long as we aren't the new biggest suspects in the robbery, because _someone_ wouldn't stop running." He slid a cutting board across the small counter and set a couple of potatoes on it. "Here. Peel."

Ichigo did as he was told, taking a seat at the island counter and picking up the peeler. "I didn't see you trying to stop me. And besides, I was using an outdated set of names. I'll just pick another when I go out next time. Don't worry."

"Why would I?" he snapped, putting a pan on the stove. Setting it to heat, he pulled out another chopping board and began to cut vegetables, his knife moving rhythmically. But his eyes were distant. "How long will those names last under scrutiny?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Not long. An hour, maybe less. But they'll dead-end, so no worries. The pictures were also different, so there won't be any confusion if I _am_ seen. Keigo was a psy I knew from elementary school."

Uryuu nodded, still looking detached. "All right. Just as long as they won't recognize you. Oh, and I sent Szayel a message saying we had the Hōgyoku. He wants us to bring it to the usual spot tonight. Will you be able to jump both me and that thing?"

"Of course." Ichigo pushed the potatoes back to him. "What else do you want me to do?"

"Cube them," he ordered. "And do you have a place we can go once we're on Szayel's list of who to kill?"

Ichigo considered that for a moment, even as he cut. "He doesn't know about this place, since we only ever jump in or out. We'll stay here for one night, and then head for the Menos Forest hideout in the morning. He won't know our connection to that place, either. What do you think of that?"

"Will you be able to jump both of us that far?" Uryuu asked quietly, not looking at him.

"Of course," Ichigo repeated firmly. "And if I couldn't, I'd find another way. I'm not going to leave you behind, Uryuu. Why won't you believe me?" Uryuu had been like this—insecure, untrusting even of _Ichigo_ —for years now, but it still stung.

Uryuu sighed and put down his knife, then looked up at the redhead with tired eyes. "I know you wouldn't, Ichigo. But I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong. Not with you or me, but out _there_." He nodded out the privacy-darkened window, towards the rest of the city. "Something out there isn't…right, good, I don't know, but it feels _bad_."

Ichigo knew better than to dismiss Uryuu's feelings. The younger man was good at picking up bad vibes—again, likely because his mother had been an empath. "Should we just skip the meeting with Szayel and leave now? Would that change anything?"

Uryuu considered it, his eyes closed. Then he sighed and shook his head. "No. I told you. It isn't what _we're_ doing. It's something out there. Like…like the whole world is trembling, and just about to collapse." He rubbed his temples, looking frustrated. "Damn it! Every time it starts to get clear, something interferes and I lose it again! It's like something's trying to block me!"

"To block _you_?" Ichigo asked, surprised. They had never undergone a true psy test, so he and Uryuu didn't know their levels, but he was smart enough to realize that Uryuu's had to be a whole lot closer to Ten than One. Ichigo had never known him to get blocked before. "What could do that?"

Uryuu shook his head, scowling. "I don't know. Maybe if I could get closer…but right now, I can't even figure out which frequency it's at, let alone where it's coming from. It's been getting stronger, though, so in a few days I might be able to."

"We'll be gone in a few days, so it won't matter." Ichigo pushed the chopped potatoes back to him. "Anything you want me to run out and get right now? I could use a little fresh air."

Uryuu flicked a quick glance around the kitchen. "Just the usual. Oh, and make sure they pack more eggs. I'm going to use the last of them. And whatever you want me to make for dinner. Other than that, I think we're good."

"Right. Then I'll see you in a bit." With a quick wave, Ichigo jumped. For a moment, barely enough time to register it, he was lost in the whirling nothingness. Then he reemerged, landing a block away on the deserted street behind the grocery store. Quickly, he ducked out into the busier main street, then in through the front door. If anyone _had_ seen him arrive, he would hopefully be lost in the crowd. Psys weren't so rare that they stood out completely in a group. Especially here in the Seireitei.

* * *

"Hey, Sado!" One of the women stocking shelves saw Ichigo and waved, using the false name Ichigo had given her the first time they met. He nodded in return, and she smiled. "I've got your usual order in the back. Just wait in the café and I'll go grab it when I'm done with this."

"All right. Thanks, Chizuru." Ichigo nodded again and stepped into the other part of the store, a small café with fresh-baked pastries and good coffee. Careful to be unobtrusive, he tucked himself back into a corner and waited. Being around this many people without any way of _moving_ was always nerve-wracking for him. Better to stay out of sight and wait as patiently as he could.

That was the plan, at least. But then a familiar voice said, "I'm sorry, sir. We lost all traces of the thief the minute he was out of the room, same as in the other burglaries. It was as if he just suddenly vanished. I can't explain it. Even Isane looked, and she couldn't find anything."

Ichigo swallowed and pressed himself back into the shadows. It was the Gotei 13 lieutenant from earlier, and she was with a tall, handsome, dark-haired man who had a Captain's badge stitched onto his uniform.

Ichigo froze, trying not to breathe as he cursed his luck. Could it really be that bad?

Still unaware that Ichigo was watching, the Captain sighed and took a long sip of tea. "Hmm. If even Isane lost the trail, I suppose it's useless to keep looking the normal way. We're obviously not dealing with an ordinary psy. Get Urahara on the case immediately. I don't care what you have to say to persuade him, just _do it_."

"Yes, sir." The lieutenant sounded somewhat less than thrilled, but she stood and saluted, stepping back from the table. "I'll get on that right away. Excuse me." With a short bow, she left.

The Captain picked up his cup again and let out a long, tired breath. Without turning around, he asked calmly, "Was our conversation that fascinating? Why didn't you leave if it made you uncomfortable?"

Only one kind of psy could have known exactly what Ichigo was thinking, at the exact moment he was thinking it. Ichigo called up his shields instantly, snapping them into place. Like a castle gate crashing shut to keep out an invader, black walls slammed into place around his thoughts.

Despite what most people thought, shielding one's thoughts wasn't as easy as imagining a wall around one's mind. Ichigo's shields were rare, strong—honed over what felt like a lifetime of painful, forced lessons. That alone would raise warning flags with the Captain, but he didn't care. There was no way that he was letting a telepath poke around in his mind, not when he could prevent it.

The man's eyebrows rose slightly, but that was all. He took another neat sip. "Won't you say anything? Hmm, Psy?"

Deciding there was no harm to it—he didn't know who Ichigo was, after all— Ichigo stepped out of the corner and rounded his table, taking a seat in the chair the lieutenant had just vacated. He met the Captain's dark grey eyes squarely. "What do you want me to say?"

He looked supremely unconcerned. "Anything you wish. Why don't you start with your name and level? Then I will reply with mine, and we can at least pretend to be civilized."

Ichigo nodded, sitting back. Warning bells were sounding in his mind, but he ignored them. The man might have been Gotei 13, but… Ichigo felt that he could _trust_ him. And with his shields in place, he knew it wasn't just mental manipulation. Ichigo might not have gotten the bulk of a true empath's Talent, not like Uryuu, but he had some. And right now, all of it was saying that this man was someone he could rely on. Ichigo had long ago learned to trust his instincts.

An idea rippled through his mind, half-considered, and Ichigo seized on it before it could vanish again. Maybe…

"Yasutora Sado," he said, offering the same name Chizuru knew. "Level Four. I just moved here a little while ago." He didn't offer to shake hands, though. His shields weren't that strong.

The man nodded. She didn't offer, either. "Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of Gotei 13's Sixth Division. Level Eight."

It took all of Ichigo's concentration to keep from flinching. No wonder the man had been able to sense him in the shadows. There were only a handful of Eights in all of Capital City. They were considered the top of the power hierarchy, since Nines were incredibly rare and Tens all but unheard of. Ichigo fisted his hands in his lap. If he so much as brushed the telepath's skin, Byakuya could probably see all of his secrets without even meaning to.

"What's a Captain doing meeting his subordinates in a rundown café on the Eastern District?" Ichigo asked, still meeting Byakuya's eyes. He wouldn't see Ichigo's fear. Even Uryuu couldn't, and Ichigo wasn't about to lose his composure in front of a stranger.

Byakuya raised and eyebrow, but the motion was tired. "Didn't you hear? I'm trying to catch a thief. But we've been at it for three weeks straight, ever since the Archives were robbed, and I needed something hot to drink." He looked at the cup in his hands, and his faintly weary expression turned wry. "Well, lukewarm, perhaps. I keep getting interrupted, as you saw. And the thief is getting bolder. Now that we've looked into it, we've found multiple robberies like this, going back years. It's enough to drive the Captain-Commander mad." With a slight shake of his head, he took another sip of his cooling tea.

Ichigo hesitated, torn. Half of him wanted to say something, but the other half—his caution and good sense—was telling him not to. Why should he? After all, this man was Gotei 13, same as the people who had killed his and Uryuu's caretakers. But…

But this Captain seemed different, decent. Telling himself that _he_ was the mad one—and ignoring himself, like always— Ichigo stood. His words were soft, but not rushed. Forced, but at the same time spoken willingly. "If you're looking for a thief, Captain, try Warehouse 11 tonight at nine o'clock. There might be something there that surprises you."

Ichigo couldn't believe the words, even as he spoke them. Byakuya Kuchiki was _Gotei 13_. Not only that, he was _Captain_ of the _Sixth Division_ , one of the highest-ranking of the lot. But somehow, that didn't matter right now. And besides, after tonight, Uryuu and Ichigo would be long gone. If they could take Szayel down before they left, so much the better.

"Sado!" Chizuru called from the doorway. She was holding a bunch of bags and grinning. "I've got your order!"

Ichigo nodded to her and wound through the tables to take the bags, leaving the Captain in the café. "I appreciate it. Thanks."

She patted his shoulder. "Thank _you_ , for all the business you've given us lately. It's nice to see some new faces around here. Back door's open." She vanished back into the store.

Ichigo shouldered the groceries and pushed through the crowd, back into the deserted street behind the store. Then it was a simple matter of taking a step, and he jumped once more.

* * *

"Tell me if I've got this wrong," Uryuu said, slamming the cupboard doors with unnecessary force as he put the food away. "So you told the _Captain_ of the _Sixth_ _Division_ when we're going to be handing the Hōgyoku over to Szayel? What in Chaos's name possessed you to do that?" His voice was tightly contained, angry, and Ichigo restrained a flinch.

"A hunch," he managed lightly, but he was nervous. Uryuu was his only family. What if he thought it was better to leave than stay with someone who had…well, all but betrayed him? Uryuu wasn't the only one with abandonment issues. "I told her an hour late, though. We should be able to get out before they come. And as long as we can get out of sight, I can jump us anywhere."

Uryuu sighed, his back to Ichigo. Then, slowly, he turned. His smile was small and wry. "As long as you take Szayel down, it doesn't matter, right?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest, but Uryuu cut him off with a raised hand. "Don't, Ichigo. I know how you feel, and I'd have done the same thing. Just make sure we don't get caught. Szayel was behind the thefts, sure, but we're the ones who actually pulled them off, remember."

"No worries." This time his voice actually _was_ light. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "After all, they don't know that you helped. Once they see that I'm a teleporter, they won't look any farther."

Uryuu scowled and smacked him in the side of the head. "Don't sound so happy about that, idiot! Didn't you hear what I just said? _Don't get caught!_ Isn't that clear enough for you?"

"Sorry, Uryuu," Ichigo apologized, raising his hands. It almost managed to sound sincere. Then, the second Uryuu started to turn away, Ichigo lunged forward and grabbed him, pulling him back against his chest with a tight grip. The redhead grinned at him as he yelped in surprise and began to squirm, trying—though not overly hard—to get away.

"Do you think I would ever let you get captured if I could prevent it?" Ichigo asked softly. He rested his cheek on Uryuu's shoulder, closing his eyes. "Is that really the kind of person you think I am?"

Uryuu sighed and gripped his arm tightly. "You're grabby today." His eyes were also closed, and he leaned against Ichigo in return. "I know it isn't. Just promise me you won't do anything _really_ dumb, okay? I know it goes against your nature, but…"

"Respect your elders," Ichigo ordered, but without heat. With a last sigh, he released Uryuu and stepped back. "Is the food ready yet? I'm starving."

Uryuu snorted, turning to face him. There was something dark in his eyes, something Ichigo couldn't read. But before he could ask what it was, Uryuu leaned forward to feather a kiss over his lips, sweet and gentle, then took his arm and steered him away from the cupboards, towards the island counter. A prepared plate of hash browns and vegetables sat there, a glass of orange juice next to it.

"You're always hungry," he said dryly. "Drink the juice, too. I don't want you to faint from low blood sugar right as the Gotei 13 gets there. I could just see you doing that. And besides, you're only an hour or two older. Stop trying to lord it over me because of such a small difference."

Ichigo glared at him as he sat down. "Be polite, or people will say I've failed at teaching you manners. I know you have them, so use them."

He raised one dark eyebrow. "Or you'll what?"

Ichigo floundered for a moment, and then snapped, "Or I'll drop you in not-space!"

His other eyebrow rose to join the first. "You wouldn't dare."

"I would." Ichigo met him, stare for stare.

"Try it," he invited.

"You really want me to?"

"You really sure you want to?"

Ichigo pushed to his feet, tensed for combat. "Loser does the dishes _and_ the laundry."

Uryuu faced him, already half-crouched. "Works for me. Truce till we get there?"

"Of course." Ichigo took the hand he offered and jumped the very second their skin touched. This jump he could have done in his sleep, it was so familiar, and distance meant nothing. Even though it was far beyond the city, deep in the wild land that had reclaimed the rural areas of the world, he wasn't even breathing hard when they landed.

The moment their feet were flat on the foam-carpeted floor, they sprang apart, towards the edges of the red circle painted on the ground. Ichigo dropped into a crouch as Uryuu mirrored him. As one, they both looked at the clock on the wall high above them. The second hand ticked—ticked—ticked—and finally hit twelve.

There was no hesitation. They both sprang into motion.

Ichigo moved as though to duck past Uryuu, and Uryuu moved to block him. Twisting through the feint, Ichigo lashed out towards Uryuu's face with one arm. Uryuu ducked, and Ichigo brought his knee up hard, striking for Uryuu's stomach. But he twisted so that the blow never met flesh and snapped a fist at Ichigo's side. Ichigo leapt back, kicking at Uryuu's right knee. He leapt back, too, and Ichigo helped him go, stepping close and shoving his shoulder into Uryuu's as he fell. Uryuu twisted to land on his palms, as they had been taught, and Ichigo snapped a fist towards his face.

Had it connected, it might have shattered bone, but the blow stopped in the air about two inches from Uryuu's skin. All moving things produced resonant energy, just by the simple fact of their moving, and that was one of Uryuu's strongest Talents. He could use that energy against an opponent in more ways than Ichigo could count.

Before Ichigo could move again, Uryuu grabbed his wrist with the speed of a striking snake and rolled, throwing Ichigo off of him. Ichigo rolled right over and came back, striking out with both his hands and his feet, getting close and dropping Uryuu again. This time Ichigo tried to trap his arms as they went down, but Uryuu caught him, flipped him over, and pinned him. Ichigo brought his legs up sharply as he rolled, throwing Uryuu off, and then they were on their feet, circling once more.

"Ready to give up?" Ichigo asked, breathing slightly hard now.

"You wish." But Uryuu was breathing equally hard, his blue eyes brighter than Ichigo had seen them in a long time. Ichigo knew that, if he could have seen them, his own would have been the same. When they were fighting, with words or physically, they were happy. It was easy to forget, over the course of their normal lives, just what they really were.

Even Szayel, who thought he knew all of they secrets, couldn't have guessed this one.

Uryuu lunged forward, dropping to support his weight on one hand and sweeping a leg out. Ichigo leapt over it and _jumped_ , vanishing into not-space a moment before Uryuu's right-arm chop would have connected. Ichigo held himself there for a moment, then reappeared in the exact spot he had left and pounced on Uryuu—who had been expecting him to appear at his back, and had turned to meet Ichigo's attack—before Uryuu could turn around. They crashed to the floor, bouncing on the padding, and rolled. Uryuu managed to get on top and aimed his own punch at Ichigo's face. Ichigo jumped an instant before it would have connected, reappearing a few feet to the side, already on his feet. Uryuu threw up a barrier to block his kick, then sprang to his feet and tackled him. They rolled again, each of them trying to get on top, and Ichigo suddenly realized that he was laughing. Uryuu was laughing, too, and they rolled apart, lying next to each other on the soft floor.

Ichigo raised a hand, his elbow still resting on the floor, and Uryuu mirrored him, entwining their fingers and gripping his hand tightly. He closed his eyes, still grinning. "God, that's fun. I had forgotten."

"Me, too," Ichigo agreed. Carefully, aware of the new bruises he was sporting and relishing them, he stretched his arms above his head. "How long's it been since we were here last?"

"Months," Uryuu said morosely, but his grin returned a second later. "Maybe we should hide out here for a bit. It's not like anyone's going to find us in this place."

Ichigo considered it for a moment. "Yeah, but it would be a bit hard to move around. Let's stick with the Menos Forest, where at least we'll _know_ what's out to get us."

"Good point," Uryuu admitted. He opened his eyes, tipping his head back on the padded floor. His face was slightly wistful. "I'd forgotten how much I liked this place. It's easy to forget."

Ichigo nodded and closed his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath.

Uryuu was smiling when Ichigo opened his eyes. His expression was still warm, but there was a shadow in it that Ichigo knew all too well. "No one's ever been able to take this away from us. Not even…"

Ichigo squeezed his hand. "Don't. We survived. We're fine now." Feeling a need to change the subject, he checked the clock and sighed. "Are you ready to go dump Szayel once and for all?"

He nodded. "Of course. Can you really jump the Hōgyoku and me? I can wait somewhere else, if it's easier."

"No." Ichigo shook his head. "We should stay together. I…" He hesitated, since he wasn't usually the one to have premonitions, then finished with a resigned sigh, "I think something bad is going to happen. If it does, I'd rather we were together. Wouldn't you?"

Uryuu nodded mutely, then stood, pulling Ichigo to his feet. His eyes were distant again, as though he were looking at a thousand things at once. He didn't move, and neither did Ichigo They just stood there for a long moment, hands joined. Then Uryuu nodded again. "I feel it, too—and all of it is focused on _you_."

Ichigo blinked at him. "Me?" Then he scowled. "Wait. Do you mean I _am_ the disaster, or the disaster will happen _to_ me?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I feel it. It just started a little while ago, but it's getting stronger with every breath." His eyes unfocused further, looking past what _was_ and into what _might be_. Then his gaze cleared again, and he looked back at Ichigo. Ichigo had rarely seen him so worried. "But something's blocking me again. I can't see around it. _All_ of the futures I can see are blocked, too, not just yours."

Ichigo bit his lip, then recognized the tell and released it. "Whatever it is, we'll be gone before it breaks. You ready to head back?"

"Yeah." Uryuu sounded disgusted, but with himself or something else, Ichigo couldn't tell. He glanced at the clock on the wall again. "We should get the Hōgyoku and go to the meeting spot. Better to be early than late, especially if the Gotei 13 will be lying in wait, thanks to _someone's_ brilliant plan." His glare was withering, but Ichigo just brushed it off. He'd had practice. Uryuu sighed and shook his head. "Anyway, Szayel's not going to be happy about us bailing." Sarcasm dripped from his words. "Somehow, I doubt he'll give us a kiss on the cheek and a fond farewell when we tell him we're leaving. You're the most profitable thief he's ever controlled."

Ichigo scowled and held out a hand. "Ask me if I care. Let's go."

He took it, shaking his head again. "Ichigo, someday you're going to—"

The rest of his words were lost to the warp as Ichigo jumped them back home.

* * *

Ichigo sat atop a stack of crates in Warehouse 11, watching as a crowd of muscle-bound Hollows—Szayel's grunts—pried open the doors and then stood back, letting a middle-aged man through. He walked as though the world should fall down and worship at his feet, and his slicked-back hair glittered greasily in the half-light.

From his seat beside Ichigo, Uryuu touched his hand. Ichigo glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow, silently questioning. The blond nodded towards the shadows behind their perch, and Ichigo nodded back. It was a perfect hiding place for Uryuu to wait in, since they had agreed that he wouldn't show himself. Not happily, on Uryuu's part, but it was one argument that Ichigo had actually won. Uryuu would stay hidden.

Wanting to get this over with, Ichigo jumped them into the shadows, and then jumped himself across the warehouse, to another stack of crates a few yards from the door. As Szayel stalked in and looked around, Ichigo let out a slow breath and focused himself, all of his being narrowing to a single point of light. And in that point of light, his courage—forged from spending too much time with sadistic bastards who wanted to know the full extent of his powers, drawn from being cornered and unable to run—hardened into steel. The old Ichigo, from before Yuzu and Karin's disappearance and their caretakers' death, would have crumbled long ago. But this version of Ichigo was strong. He could withstand anything that was thrown at him—and as long as he survived, so would the rest of Ichigo. Even the softer parts he could no longer afford to show.

Ichigo's eyes opened. He was ready.

"You're late," Ichigo snapped, jumping himself to the floor of the warehouse and glaring at Szayel. "You _know_ I don't like to wait."

Szayel gave him a smile that was as greasy as his hair. "You could just come to my club, dear boy. That would make it easier for everyone." He attempted to take Ichigo's hand.

"Not on your life." Ichigo stepped out of reach and held up the Hōgyoku, now removed from its glass case and swinging from the plastic carrier's chain. "This is what you wanted, right?"

Szayel's eyes grew greedy, and he reached out to take it. "Perfect. You're a miracle, Kurosaki. Now give it here, and we'll talk about your terms."

Ichigo jumped out of range, back up to his perch on the crates near the door. "Not so fast. What you know _first_ , then we'll talk about the Hōgyoku. So spill." This Ichigo wasn't willing to let anyone dictate to him, much less control him. He would make getting away from Szayel that much easier, where Ichigo's old self might have caved.

Szayel's amiable mask slipped for a moment, and he frowned. But he recovered quickly and smiled. Ichigo could almost feel the slime against his skin. "Now, now. You know how hard it is to find anyone these days, let alone someone who's been missing for upwards of ten, twelve years. I might have found something, but you know how often these sorts of things turn out to be dead ends."

It was the exact same speech he had given Ichigo every time Ichigo asked, since the very first day Ichigo had started working for him. The redhead snorted. "Well. At least now I don't feel so bad about this. Not that I really did." Ichigo smiled at him, dangling the Hōgyoku from a fingertip. "You know what, Szayel? I've had enough of your games. We'll call this an equalizer. I give it to you and we're even. You don't ask me for any more favors, I don't steal anything for you, _ever_ _again_. Uryuu and I'll disappear, though, just to remove the temptation."

Szayel's expression ran through a quick range, from fury to disbelief, and finally settled somewhere around condescending amusement. " _What_?"

Ichigo jumped back down to the warehouse floor, right behind one of the Hollows. He yelped and leapt away, barely managing to hang on to the Hōgyoku Ichigo had dropped in his grip. Ichigo smiled thinly, amused at their jumpiness, and then looked back at Szayel. "Don't go looking for us—you'll only regret it in the end."

He took a step back, getting ready to jump again. But just as he was about to slip into not-space, the door blew open again. A single figure strode through the opening, a tall, lean figure with dark collar-length hair, dressed in a black uniform that bore a captain's badge on the shoulder. Grey eyes settled on Ichigo even as he tried to retreat into the shadows, and the man's lips curved into a faint, wry smile, the shadows falling across the left side of his face making it into a lopsided smirk.

"Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Sado," Captain Byakuya Kuchiki said calmly, nodding slightly to Ichigo. "Thank you for the tip. We've been looking for Szayel Aporro Granz for months now. Your hint about Warehouse 11 helped us crack his new identity."

"I thought I told you nine o'clock," Ichigo said faintly, taking another half-step back. It was either run for the darkness of the unlit portion where Uryuu was or try and jump in front of the very last people he wanted to know about his existence. Quite a tossup, there.

And then a firm hand settled on his shoulder out of nowhere, and an indistinctly annoyed voice said, " _This_ is the hellcat you wanted me to catch, Mr. Kuchiki? He's a half-starved alley cat! Care to tell me why you dragged me out at this time of night for nothing?"

The new guy was in for it, on multiple levels, Ichigo decided. Sneaking up on him was _bad_. And he _hated_ to be grabbed. Calling him an alley cat was just the cherry on top, but at least it let him make up his mind about what HE was going to do. Nothing like anger to override all common sense.

Before the man holding him could react, Ichigo grabbed his arm and spun, knocking him off balance. Not giving the stranger time to recover, he instantly let go, allowing him to stumble forward a step before Ichigo spun again and drove his foot—along with all the momentum he could put behind it—into the guy's side. He literally left the ground as he flew, and Ichigo dropped his raised foot back to the floor and snarled, "Keep your hands _off_ of me!"

Utter silence fell around him, both Szayel's thugs and the rest of the Gotei 13 people who had filed in staring at Ichigo with wide eyes. Ichigo's skin crawled beneath the combined gazes, and he took one quick step back. "Ah…"

He could have sworn he heard Uryuu groan from behind his stack of crates.

But Szayel hadn't been a gang boss going on twenty years for nothing. Between the space of one second and the next, he recovered, then raised his hand to point at the Gotei 13 personnel and shouted, "Well? What are you waiting for? Go!"

As one, the Hollows turned on the nearest officers with a growled snarl, lashing out with hand weapons and blades. No stun guns for them. They were the old-fashioned type. Still, the officers were Gotei 13 for a reason. They fought back, and within moments, the warehouse looked like something out of a bad fight-movie. Only the Captain was left, watching Ichigo with eyes that were just as calm as they had been in the café.

"Why did you show up?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to one side. He had moved closer without Ichigo realizing it, and now was only a few feet away. "You could have taken off and we would still have caught Szayel. Why come back?"

Ichigo took another small step back. "It was personal. You wouldn't understand."

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Do you really think so, Mr. Sado? If you dropped your shielding a bit, you might be surprised at what I can understand."

Ichigo let out a breath of relief and blessed the gut feeling that had made him shield on impulse, without the need for conscious thought. "I'm a private person. I'm not about to let a telepath go picking through my mind. Not in this lifetime." And before the Captain could touch him, taking those secrets whether Ichigo was shielded or not, he jumped back into not-space.

He came out on top of the stack of crates barely a second later, while the Captain was still trying to process what had happened. He visibly made the connection within moments—Gotei 13 made people Captain for a reason, too—and then did something Ichigo didn't expect. With a low growl, he spun and growled, "Urahara!"

The man Ichigo had sent flying nodded once, tersely. He pulled himself to his feet, straightened his bucket hat, and took a quick step forward, looking just as surprised as the Captain, but more focused, more predatory.

And then he didn't, because he was gone.

Ichigo stared at the spot where the stranger had been, his mind working furiously. _No. It wasn't possible. He couldn't be…_

_Could he?_

A soft thump suddenly came from behind him, and Ichigo spun, startled. The man was standing there, and he had a small smile on his face. He took one step forward, crowding Ichigo back towards the edge of the stack.

"Never expected to meet another teleporter, did you?" he asked with a smile that bordered on a smirk. "Did you know, Mr. Sado, that one teleporter can follow another's path, so long as it's fresh? Anywhere you jump, I can follow. Wouldn't it be better just to give up?"

Maybe the other Ichigo, from before their caretakers had been murdered and Yuzu and Karin had vanished, would have ended it there. This Ichigo couldn't. Instead, he bared his teeth in a savage parody of a smile and taunted, "Catch me if you can!" Then, without hesitation, he leapt from the edge of the crates and jumped, emerging from not-space on the other side of the warehouse. A brief second later, the man appeared behind him once more.

"Hah," Ichigo said, even as he leapt off that stack, too. "So you _were_ telling the truth." Ichigo didn't give him time to answer, though, but jumped again. Curses followed the redhead into not-space, but he just grinned and touched down on the tip of the pier outside, then jumped again.

* * *

A minute and nearly fifteen jumps later, Ichigo landed back in the warehouse, in the shadows by Uryuu's hiding place. Gotei 13 officers and thugs were still fighting around them, but back here seemed safe.

"Uryuu!" he called softly, hoping to all things holy that the other was still there.

"Damn it, Ichigo!" an angry voice snapped from the shadows, and Uryuu emerged into the half-light. "What the hell's going on?"

Ichigo shook his head and held out a hand. "There's no time to explain. We've got to go _now_."

Uryuu didn't question, but grabbed his hand. Ichigo took a breath, just about to send them into not-space when the air warped and the Gotei 13 man appeared out of the ripple.

"Got you now," he growled, and lunged. One hand closed around Ichigo's ankle as he jumped, and the stranger came with them into the other dimension.

For a moment, sheer panic overwhelmed everything in Ichigo's mind, and for the first time he could remember, his jump faltered. Not-space shimmered in and out of focus around him, and he nearly lost his hold on it altogether.

And then stinging pain lanced through Ichigo's cheek as Uryuu slapped him, hard across the face. "Get it together, Ichigo!" he shouted in the redhead's ear.

The force of the blow snapped his head to one side, but the pain instantly cleared Ichigo's mind. He knew in an instant what to do. Even though Uryuu would probably hate him for it, it was the only way.

"Trust me," Ichigo murmured to him, then _shoved_ all of his power out in one hard blow.

Uryuu cried out as he was thrown away from Ichigo, his hand slipping from Ichigo's as Ichigo opened his fingers. His shocked brown eyes found Ichigo's a moment before he disappeared, and Ichigo breathed, "I'm sorry."

That was all he had time for before Uryuu vanished from not-space.

The grip on Ichigo's ankle tightened, and the Gotei 13 man pulled himself up. "End your jump!" he ordered. "Are you a teleporter or not? Focus, or we'll be lost in negative space!"

Ichigo opened his mouth to demand why he should do anything that benefited the stranger, but he suddenly grabbed Ichigo's arm and dragged his ear down within speaking distance.

"Listen," he said, voice full of false cheer. "I'm an old man. I don't _want_ to go jumping halfway across the country after some boy I wasn't even told to chase. But if you don't come easily, I'll go after your companion. Come along quietly, and the Captain will never know about him."

Ichigo blinked at him, the unfamiliar face twisting in and out of focus in the nothingness. It sounded too good to be true. "Swear," he ordered. "Swear you'll never chase him and I'll go with you."

"I swear," the stranger said without hesitation, then pulled himself up again and grabbed Ichigo's other arm, pinning both of them behind him. "Now _jump_ , before this entire dimension caves in on us."

It _was_ beginning to look a bit unstable, as though cracks ran through the very air. Ichigo gritted his teeth hard enough that his jaw ached and took them back to the warehouse with a single hard jump.

He barely had time to wonder at how easy it was to jump another teleporter when they landed hard on the concrete floor. Immediately, the man spun and knocked Ichigo's feet out from under him, throwing him to the ground and pinning him with his arms behind his back. It must have looked horrible, since Ichigo saw at least one of the Gotei 13 officers wince, but the man was actually gentler than Ichigo expected. After so much bad luck in one day, it was nearly nice.

Booted feet entered Ichigo's line of vision. "You caught him." The Captain actually sounded surprised.

Ichigo half-saw the stranger shoot her a dirty look as he began checking Ichigo for weapons. "Of course I did. Even though the brat jumped clear across the city. _Three times_."

Byakuya snorted faintly. "Don't complain, Urahara. It's good for you to shake the dust off your bones once in a while. Besides, now you have competition. This boy is good. He sat a foot away from me, talking about the thief who had taken the Hōgyoku, just after he had gotten back from stealing it—and I never suspected a thing." Byakuya dangled the Hōgyoku from a finger and looked down at Ichigo. "But why steal it just to give it to someone else, Mr. Sado?"

Before Ichigo could respond, the stranger snorted softly and pulled him to his feet, holding the redhead securely, but not cruelly. "You didn't grow up with nothing, Byakuya," he said quietly. "A lot of times, the only way out is to steal for someone stronger, to hope they have what you need and that they'll let you break away from them when the time comes. I did it, too, when I was his age. There was nothing else I _could_ do."

Ichigo looked back at him, surprised.

He had been a thief? And he was with the Gotei 13 now?

But the Captain just sighed and raised a hand, forestalling any more comments. "Stop your lecturing and take him away, Urahara. You're in charge of him until tomorrow. I want both of you at Headquarters at six sharp, though. Don't be late."

With that, Byakuya turned on his heel and marched away, flicking out a hand in what must have been a recognized signal. As he did, the Gotei 13 officers picked up the bound Hollows, set them on their feet, and marched them out of the warehouse, carrying an unconscious Szayel along with them. The warehouse doors swung shut behind the strange party with a hard bang.

The man sighed, too, and released Ichigo, keeping only a light grip on one arm. "Well, little jumper, what say we head home? I'm tired."

"Do I have a choice?" Ichigo muttered.

He considered for a moment, and then shook his head with a wry smile. "No, I don't believe so. But I thought I'd ask anyway, just to sound like I cared."

Against his will, Ichigo felt himself smile. "Well, thanks for that, I guess."

He smiled back, and jumped them.

* * *

Wrapped in a bathrobe with his orange hair still dripping from his shower, Ichigo sat on a stranger's couch, a cup of tea clenched in his hands. Part of him wondered why he was sitting there, simply waiting. But in reality, he knew. For the first time in his life, Ichigo had met someone who _understood_ , completely, the reason for his actions, and he had known it with a single glance.

Even Uryuu didn't always understand Ichigo's reasons, but this stranger did.

Was he maybe—could he possibly be?— _like_ _Ichigo_?

A door that Ichigo assumed led to a bedroom swung open, startling him from his thoughts. The man emerged, brushing his hair back from his face now that the odd hat was absent. He let out a tired breath, and then looked up. His gaze settled on Ichigo, and his eyebrows rose.

"You're still here."

Ichigo shrugged, careful to avoid spilling his tea. It sloshed slightly, but stayed within the confines of the cup. "I said I'd come, didn't I? I don't go back on my word. And besides…" He kept his gaze fixed firmly on his lap. "You're the first teleporter I've met. After so long, I…kind of thought I was the only one."

The man blew out a heavy breath, running a hand over his hair. Now that his face wasn't obscured by shadows or not-space, he looked younger than Ichigo had thought, probably only in his early forties. His hair was grayish-blond, several shades lighter than Uryuu's, and kept long so that it fell slightly below his ears. He looked like an old soldier, deceptively tough and lean, with scars on his hands and forearms that Ichigo doubted came from slicing bagels.

"Got a name, boy?" he asked, walking over to the far side of the room, where a counter and tiled island held a stove and marble cutting-board.

Somewhat unsure of what to do, Ichigo drifted after him and took a seat on the island. Déjà vu swamped him, as he realized he had just played this scene out with Uryuu, before everything that had happened. Something panged in his heart, but he pushed it down and asked dryly, "Which one do you want? I've got lots."

The man smiled slightly, too. "How about the one you use the most? That's easy."

"I'm Ichigo," HE told him, pushing away his insecurities and clinging only to the thought that he was another teleporter, the thought that he _understood_. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Or at least, that's what I've always been called."

He nodded. "Then that's good enough for me. If you didn't catch it before, I'm Kisuke Urahara."

"Are you…part of Gotei 13?" Ichigo asked warily. "The Captain was saying something about having to persuade you to take the case." Not in the warehouse, but back in the café. "Couldn't he just order you, if he's a Captain?"

Urahara snorted, pulling a pot from an overhead hook. "He'd like that, but I'm outside of his power. I only do the jobs I want to do, and I don't answer to Soul Society. Your case caught my eye, since I didn't think there were any other teleporters, either, and teleporting was the only way I could think of to skip security like you did. Because I was interested, I agreed to look into it. It's just your bad luck that I got dragged along on tonight's bust." He stared at the cabinet in front of him for a moment, then seemed to realize that nothing was happening and opened it, pulling out a packaged soup mix. With quick, efficient movements, he opened the pouch and poured it into the pan, than added water from the sink and set it to heat.

Ichigo watched his movements, only barely registering them. "Why? I thought all Gotei 13 officers were under direct jurisdiction of Soul Society. Why are you so different?"

He waved a hand, a little to perfectly careless to be believably nonchalant. "I did something for Soul Society directors, once. Now they think I'm a hero. Means I get away with a lot of stuff the peons don't." His grin was one hair shy of truly wicked. "It gives Byakuya a headache, I'll tell you. He can't figure out what to do with me. Sometimes, if he's scary enough, I take a case or two, but mostly I just do what I want."

Feeling a momentary flash of sympathy for the Captain, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Are there many of us?"

"You mean teleporters?" Urahara looked up, pale brows arching in question. "No. We're pretty rare, as far as Talents go. Teleportation manifests as the ability to move oneself and other objects instantaneously across great distances, through a separate dimension of one's own making. We've got one of the flashiest and most powerful Talents, but that comes at a price. It takes a lot of calories to keep us alive, and we tend to tire easily. We're also more susceptible to telepathic suggestions and normal illnesses. All this means that a lot of those with our Talent die young, or aren't even carried to term. One in a hundred thousand of those with the potential to be teleporters will survive past the age of three, one in a million past age ten, and the eggheads say that only about a hundred thousand of us are born each year, in the whole world. You do the math."

Ichigo looked down at the tabletop, doing the calculations. "Every two generations…but it hasn't been two since you were born, just one. By those odds, I shouldn't even be here."

Urahara nodded, obviously unconcerned. "There's always something that throws the data off." Then that innocently wicked smile flashed once more. "But beyond that, the directors are going to go into shock when they hear we've found another. They don't like things that upset their perfectly catalogued world—and Mr. Kurosaki, you're going to blow it all to hell as soon as I've trained you."

"Trained?" Ichigo blinked at him, wondering if he had meant what he thought he meant.

Urahara just beamed. "Well, I did promise you that I'd keep them from going after your companion. I figure the best way to do that is to take you under my wing, show you how to deal with what you've got, power-wise. Then you'll be free to go, once I'm sure they won't bother you anymore."

"Why?" Ichigo demanded, startled. The cup slipped from his grasp and clattered against the tile, liquid sloshing over the sides. "Why would you do this? I'm just a nothing, a thief from the gutters."

"Yes, well, I was once, too," Urahara said with a shrug, turning away to stir the pot. "But Captain Kuchiki's grandfather, a Soul Society official, got me out and into a safe place where they taught me about all the things I had been missing. Figure I might as well pass on the favor, since I'm in a position to now. And you look like a half-starved tabby cat. I can't just drop-kick you back to the streets without at least trying to shove some food down your throat." He thumped a bowl down in front of Ichigo, and though his actions were abrupt, his eyes were kind. "Eat up. You can sleep on the couch until I get the guest room fixed up. There are blankets in the closet over there."

For the first time in a long while, a loss of control threatened. Ichigo fisted his hands against his knees to keep everything in. "Thank you. Urahara, this is…"

One lean, scarred arm wrapped around his shoulders in a half-hug, and Urahara pulled Ichigo against his side. "Don't worry about it," he ordered brusquely, "just eat. Get your strength back after all those jumps. And don't worry. I understand."

 _I understand_.

Such simple words, but they meant the world to Ichigo.

* * *

Ichigo dreamed of darkness, of things that hid in the shadows and loomed over him, passing unseen on muted wings. Dark feathers brushed against his face and he recoiled, stumbling back. Light bloomed around him, red light, spilling over his surroundings like a wash of blood. He stared out across the space before him, and it took all of his strength not to scream at what he saw there.

But then a gentle hand stroked over his hair, banishing the horror, and the darkness fell away. Ichigo's eyes blinked open, the last traces of the dream shattering before he could grasp them, and he stared into the thin, fierce, gentle face that was gazing down at him. His breath froze in his lungs, and Ichigo just stared for a long moment, unable to believe what his eyes were telling him.

"Uryuu?" he demanded.

His gaze met Ichigo's, and his eyes darkened to deep-sky blue. "If you _ever_ leave me behind again," he threatened quietly, "I will make _certain_ you jump yourself into the center of a concrete wall next time you ask me to guide you." Something in his face cracked, and he pulled Ichigo up by one wrist, wrapping his arm around his neck and dropping his head to Ichigo's shoulder. "Damn you, Ichigo, I thought we had a deal! I thought we weren't going to let _anyone_ separate us! Not after what happened to Yuzu and Karin."

Ichigo wrapped his arms around Uryuu and hugged him back, pressing them together. This close Ichigo could feel the fine trembling that neither of them would acknowledge, but was there nonetheless. It had been ages since they had been apart for so long, and it hurt. Now that they were back together, it hurt. It hurt a lot. Ichigo couldn't remember anymore why he had let Uryuu go.

"How?" he asked after a long moment, pulling back to look at Uryuu.

Uryuu knew what he meant. He shook his head, incredulity written over his features. "That old man came and got me last night. He said you had made a deal with him about staying here for a while, but you obviously cared about me and he didn't want you to suffer. So he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and jumped me back here, then left. He's been gone ever since."

Ichigo sat back, pushing his tangled hair out of his face. "That sounds like him. But he isn't actually that bad. And even Soul Society can't touch him."

"It beats staying with Szayel any day," Uryuu agreed, looking around with a grimace. "But what are you going to do about Soul Society? We can't just go along with them, not after what happened to us." There was a hard note in his voice that Ichigo thought time had banished, but some scars were too deep to ever fully heal. This was one of those scars, and they bore matching ones.

Ichigo's weren't healed, either.

But before Ichigo could say anything, something rippled in the air, something Ichigo had felt before. He grabbed Uryuu's wrist and jerked the younger man behind him, dropping to his knees in front of the couch they had been sitting on as years of experience kicked in without direction, ordering him to try and make them a smaller target. But there was no need for worry. A bare second later, Urahara landed in the center of the living room, carrying several large bags. He straightened, blowing his hair out of his face, and then pale eyes settled on their defensive motions. Amusement sparkled in the storm-grey depths.

"Here," he said, tossing the bags on the coffee table in front of them. "I had my niece pick out some stuff for you, so get dressed. Both of you. We're going to Sixth Division Headquarters. I've got an idea of how to get you out of this mess and into the legal areas of the system. But I need you two to understand our cover first."

Uryuu gave him a wary glance, and then slid down to sit next to Ichigo on the floor. His deep blue eyes were shuttered. "Well? What's our story, Soul Society dog?"

There was a long moment of silence, making Ichigo want to groan. Now wasn't the best time for Uryuu's anger at Soul Society to make itself known. But Urahara just raised an eyebrow. "I bite when _I_ want," he said mildly, "not when Soul Society tells me to. So keep your comments to yourself unless you've got something constructive to say."

Ichigo put a careful hand on Uryuu's shoulder, letting Uryuu feel the calm that spread through him. Despite all that had happened, Ichigo still felt that this man was one of the few trustworthy people they had ever met. Uryuu read that feeling in his being and relaxed slightly, sinking back. His eyes unshuttered, turning brilliant blue again as he nodded. "Fine, Ichigo, you win. Now what's our cover story?"

He was practically civil, to Ichigo's astonishment.

Urahara's other eyebrow rose to join the first. "Well, well. And you call me a dog. Looks like your brother's the one holding your leash, puppy."

"Brother?" Uryuu looked at him blankly, and Ichigo did, too. Then Ichigo got it—one of those oh-he-meant- _me_ moments—and just felt even more confused. Brothers? They were nothing alike—didn't even _look_ anything alike.

Surprise flickered across Urahara's face. "You're…not related? But your eyes…and how you care about each other…"

Ichigo blinked at him. "The only way we could care for each other is as siblings?" he demanded acidly. "We've—" His voice cut off before he could say anything more. Uryuu's hand was a band of iron around his upper arm.

"Our cover story?" he asked, avoiding Urahara's eyes.

The other teleporter didn't ask any questions, though. He just settled himself in a chair and picked up a red paper fan from the table, fluttering it thoughtfully. "The simplest way to avoid being doubted is to tell the truth. I'll just say that I've taken you both in as my apprentices. It isn't unheard of, even now with all the training schools that are popping up, and no one will question it as long as it's me. None of the Gotei 13 got a good look at you, Ichigo, and they never even realized Uryuu here was present, so that won't be a problem, either."

"It seems you've thought this out quite thoroughly," Uryuu commented dryly. "But what about the Captain? He saw Ichigo clearly last night, _and_ he's a telepath. Even _we_ won't be able to lie to him."

Urahara shrugged, and then stood. "Byakuya will keep his mouth shut. He's amenable like that. Now get dressed. I was ordered to be there at six, and Byakuya gets prissy if I make him wait."

From what Ichigo had seen, he could guess how scary the Captain's "prissy" would be. He nodded and opened the bag, then stared. "Ah, Urahara?"

"Yes?" Halfway out the door, he paused and looked back.

With a quick jerk, Ichigo dumped the clothes out on the table. They tumbled into a black heap, the dark mass only relieved by threads of red or silver here and there. He looked up at the other teleporter and lifted an eyebrow. "What exactly is your niece into, Urahara?"

He looked dumbfounded for a moment, then sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "Sorry about that." His voice was somewhat muffled, but still sounded weary. "I should have given Ururu stricter orders when I told her to shop for a pair of teenagers. She's got a bit of a fetish thing going on. You should see her dolls."

Uryuu shrugged and pulled a pair of black jeans from another bag. "They're better than what we're wearing right now."

That was true. With a sigh of his own, Ichigo picked up the first shirt he saw. It wasn't his usual wear, but Uryuu was right. Their current clothes were threadbare and too big, the cheapest they could find in secondhand stores whenever they had a few spare dollars. Reluctantly, he pulled out a pair of jeans that matched Uryuu's. "Fine. Where do we change?"

From out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw that Uryuu was smiling, ever so slightly.

* * *

Uryuu and Ichigo emerged from not-space just a step behind Urahara. He had seemed surprised that they knew what the Gotei 13 Headquarters looked like—and could therefore jump there—but he hadn't commented. Ichigo was glad. Some things, once revealed, couldn't be neatly shut away again, and caused tremors that would have shaken their carefully built world to pieces.

"Well, come on," Urahara said, straightening from his landing crouch. He headed up the wide front stairs at a swift pace, not waiting for them. Uryuu and Ichigo traded glances before following him. There was something about Urahara that _demanded_ one do what he wanted, even if it was only implied. And so they did, and followed him up the stairs and into the depths of a place they had escaped from more than eight years ago.

For a place out of Ichigo's darkest nightmares, it was actually rather pretty. Soaring ceilings, high doorways, and light-filled halls gave the impression that it was even greater than it actually was. Ironic, considering that those who saw this part of the Gotei 13 Headquarters saw only the smallest portion of what it actually was.

As they passed through the arched doorway, Ichigo felt a tremor pass through the air and glanced over his shoulder in time to see Uryuu step closer to him. He was nervous, too, and that meant Ichigo couldn't be. With a quick half-smile at him, Ichigo squared his shoulders, raised his chin, and walked on. Uryuu let out a short breath of laughter and ran a step, catching up and falling into step beside him. Ichigo risked a quick glance at him, and the darkness was gone from his eyes. This time, they were entering hell together, and that was much preferable to entering it alone.

In front of them, Urahara stopped before a door and knocked brusquely, then opened it without waiting for an answer. He beckoned them in, and then commanded, "Get out!" to the suited official standing in front of Captain Byakuya's desk. The woman cast him a terrified glance and bolted, nearly knocking Uryuu and Ichigo over as she went.

From his seat behind the huge oaken desk, the Captain raised one dark eyebrow, unperturbed by the intrusion. "Well, well. Two trips of Headquarters in as many days. I'm shocked. To what do I owe this pleasure, Urahara?"

Urahara gave him a grin that bordered on evil. "I'm about to do what I do best, Byakuya—give you the worst, most gods-awful headache you've ever had. Got any aspirin handy?"

Captain Byakuya stared at him warily. "Maybe. And what do you want?"

Urahara's grin widened into a beam, and he hooked an arm over each of the boys' shoulders, pulling Uryuu and Ichigo forward into view. "Byakuya, meet my new trainees. The redhead's Ichigo, the brunet's Uryuu. Make sure you don't get them confused with anyone else. Their records are clear. Understood?"

The Captain didn't move for a long second, staring at the three of them. Then, without speaking, he bent down and fished around in a desk drawer, emerging with a pain patch. He slapped it on his forehead, took a long breath, and then looked back at Urahara.

"You must truly hate me," he said wearily, then turned to his computer and began clicking keys. When he spoke again, he sounded resigned. "Now what are your names? Your legal names, mind."

Uryuu and Ichigo exchanged glances, and after a moment Ichigo offered, "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I'm Uryuu Ishida," Uryuu said quietly, but there was a tone of steel in his voice. His shields were up, just like Ichigo's, and they were connected by a net of gilt threads. If the Captain tried to read them, he would get tangled in the bright web, unable to touch either of them.

His brows rose slightly, and he looked back at them. "That is impressive shielding you have. Do I want to know where you learned that?"

Ichigo met his eyes for a long moment without speaking, and then shook his head. "No. I don't think you do."

Captain Byakuya sighed again. "I guessed as much." He clicked a few more keys, and then nodded. "All right. You're registered as Urahara's dependants and his students. Can I ask you to wait outside while I _discuss_ something with you teacher?"

There was undertone of seething anger in his voice on the last sentence that almost made Ichigo feel sorry for Urahara, but he had brought it on himself. The redhead gave the Captain a nod and quickly stepped back. "Of course. Come on, Uryuu."

Uryuu shot him a questioning glance, but followed as Ichigo retreated out the door. Just as he was about to close it, Urahara called, "Just look around, both of you, and I'll be there in a bit. Start with the fifth door on your left."

The door closed with a decisive click, and Uryuu and Ichigo blinked at each other for a moment, banished into the deathly silent corridor.

"Well?" Ichigo ventured after a few seconds of silence.

Uryuu hesitated for a brief instant, then nodded. "Why not?"

Their footsteps were painfully loud in the hushed hallway. They moved slowly, not quite dragging their feet, but not exactly hurrying, either. This place brought back a lot of memories, very few of them good. It was here that they had learned just how strong they could be—and how weak, as well.

"Here it is." Uryuu stopped in front of another door, but his eyes were distant again. Not dark, as Ichigo half-expected, just…gone. His body might have been there, and enough cognitive power to function, but the rest of Uryuu's formidable mind was off in the future somewhere, racing down the many possible paths that events could take. It wasn't a new thing. If he suddenly got a feeling, he would immediately dive into the river of possibilities, searching for the one event that acted as a fulcrum for all the others. After so long, Ichigo was used to it. Even though Uryuu would have technically been classified as a telekinetic, he had other powers, too. This was one of the greater ones.

"What do you see?" Ichigo asked quietly. "Has that feeling gotten clearer yet? Can you tell where it's coming from?"

He shot the redhead an annoyed, absent look. "Be quiet for a second, Ichigo. It's not like everything lays itself out for me in straight line. The future is a tangled mess. If I'm going to follow _anything_ , I need to concentrate."

"Sorry." Ichigo held up his hands in surrender, but didn't push. Uryuu only snapped like that when he was following a particularly difficult thread, or when he really didn't like what he was seeing. Since he didn't look shuttered, Ichigo was guessing it was the former right now.

They stood there for a few minutes, Ichigo leaning back against the wall, Uryuu standing frozen where he had stopped. Ichigo entertained himself by counting the seconds Uryuu was gone. The record so far was twenty-seven minutes and thirteen seconds. He really hoped Uryuu wouldn't be gone that long, since the last time he had was right before their caretakers were killed. If something so life-changing were about to happen again…

Well, Ichigo would shortly be regretting not leaving with Uryuu the second the thought had occurred to him.

But he needn't have worried. Before he had time to think up too many horrible scenarios, Uryuu opened his eyes and blinked at him. "How…?"

"Seven minutes, thirty-four seconds," Ichigo reported. "Just a bit under the norm. Well?"

He shrugged. "It's getting clearer, but there's still something blocking me. Past a point, everything's fuzzy. I can hardly make it out at all, let alone tell what's happening."

"Great." Ichigo scowled at the marble wall. "So we're stuck in the heart of the Gotei 13 with no idea what's about to happen and something looming over them like a crumbling iceberg. Just perfect. What else could go wrong?"

Uryuu raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you really want to know that?" When Ichigo opened his mouth to reply, Uryuu just sighed again and shook his head. "Don't answer that. Come on. Urahara said to go in here. Somehow, I don't think he wanted us to just stand outside the entire time."

Ichigo turned his scowl on him, but followed as he pushed open the door and went in. "Come on, it's not like I'm _asking_ for trouble, just…"

His words died on an inaudible groan as four pairs of eyes turned to stare at them. Ichigo had to fight back the instinct to head for the door again. Thankfully, Uryuu was immune to such things. He never even acknowledged the stares, just pulled off his shoes and then kept walking over to the edge of the mat-covered floor.

"Even if you're not _asking_ for it," he continued easily, as though they weren't being visually dissected at the moment, "disaster still seems to follow wherever you go. Or you cause it. I'm not sure which."

Ichigo tripped out of his shoes, in a hurry to follow him. "Shut up, Uryuu! I'm not that bad. And besides, can't you just _see_ it, or is your power so useless that you can't even tell what's going to happen next?"

"As far as you're concerned? I'm blind," he retorted. "Thankfully. Otherwise I would _really_ go blind from watching your stupidity over and over again."

Deciding not to justify that with words, Ichigo growled at him and flipped him off, then looked around. Thanks to Uryuu, he could withstand the others' gazes now—which was good, since they were still staring at them.

"Come on," he said to Uryuu, turning away without acknowledging the others. "Let's spar a bit. This place is even nicer than our spot."

He smiled sharply, managing to look dangerous even though he was normally so unassuming. "I thought you'd never ask. Anything goes?"

"Of course."

They circled each other carefully, picking their footing with caution since this was a new practice arena. But, as always, they were both impatient. Their eyes flicked past their opponent, searching for a clock—

And found one, just as the second hand hit twelve.

Ichigo shifted his weight back onto his right leg, bringing his other slashing up and around in a high kick. Uryuu caught it on his bent left arm and deflected it, then lashed out with his right arm in a chopping blow aimed for Ichigo's throat. Ichigo ducked back, then went all the way over, palms landing on the mat behind him even as he kicked off the floor, hard. Uryuu had to step back to avoid getting kicked in the chin. As Ichigo went over, he followed, aiming for Ichigo's head with a sharp kick. Ichigo landed in a crouch and grabbed his foot before it connected, twisting to throw Uryuu to the ground.

As he had hoped, Uryuu overbalanced, and Ichigo spotted an opening. With a growl, he dropped to the side, supporting himself with his arm, and swept his foot out. It caught Uryuu in the ankles and knocked him from his feet. He went crashing to the ground, and Ichigo rolled on top of him and pinned him in a winning hold.

In his ear, Uryuu breathed, "No powers, Ichigo. We don't want to scream what we can do from the heights."

Ichigo nodded back, imperceptibly, then rolled off of him and scrambled to his feet. Uryuu did the same, and they turned again, circling. But something had changed in the air around them, something that even Ichigo could feel, and he flicked a glance over Uryuu's shoulder just in time to see one of the Gotei 13 trainees who had been staring at Ichigo lift off the ground and take a flying leap at Uryuu's head.

Ichigo didn't wait to see if it would connect, but dove forward, bending his knees, then leaping high in a twisting spring that carried him clear over Uryuu and sent him feet-first at the other psy. Even as he did, Uryuu dove low, a powerful spinning kick making the psy who had been coming at Ichigo's back dodge quickly.

The suddenness of their movements caught their opponents off guard. Ichigo's hesitated, and then ducked to the side, as Uryuu's lunged to get away from his blow. Uryuu and Ichigo landed and spun back-to-back, facing the rest of the trainees.

The levitating one regained his feet with a midair roll, then touched back down, watching them with dark brown eyes. He was sharp and focused, especially for someone who had just tried to attack for no reason.

"Usually, it's polite to announce yourselves when you invade an occupied area," he snapped. "You two are being rude."

"Usually, it's polite to attack from the front, not from behind," Ichigo retorted, his hackles rising. "What do you want?"

"You're new, aren't you?" That was the girl who had come after Ichigo, the one that Uryuu had intercepted. She stood carefully, lightly balanced on the balls of her feet as she watched Ichigo. "All newcomers have to be initiated, don't you know? And don't worry—we won't leave you _too_ bloody."

The words seemed a signal. They all charged. But even as they moved, leaping for the pair, Ichigo flicked a glance at Uryuu. He nodded almost imperceptibly, and Ichigo grinned. "Finally. Now we'll see what the First Division can do."

Just as the other psys were about to reach them, Ichigo grabbed Uryuu's hand, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and jumped.

They came out of not-space right behind the other trainees, and Uryuu whirled out with a scything kick that held all of the kinetic power he could gather. It caught the nearest one in the shoulder and threw him across the floor. The others turned, but by that time they were gone again, vanished back into not-space.

Ichigo was about to end the jump on the other side of the room when Uryuu grabbed his arm. "Wait," he said, and it sounded strange, warped, but understandable. "Remember what you did when Urahara was chasing us? How you sent me somewhere else?"

"I'm sorry," Ichigo snapped, equal parts annoyed and pained by what he had done, and by Uryuu bringing it up again. "I told you already, I won't do that again! And is this really the best time to deal with that?"

"No, not that." Uryuu sounded excited, nearly eager, even in the strange air of not-space. "Can you do it again?"

And Ichigo got it. What better way to face four opponents than to split their forces, and their unpredictability?

As Ichigo had before, he gathered the force that let him jump, building it up around him, and then threw it outward like a net as he let go of Uryuu. Uryuu disappeared, and Ichigo let himself emerge from not-space the moment he did. They appeared in unison, on opposite sides of the group.

Ichigo found himself face to face with the levitator. He blinked at Ichigo for a moment, stunned, then breathed, "What the hell?"

"Go sit down and think about it," Ichigo offered, then drove a high kick into his shoulder. He flew, but not under his own power this time.

Across from them, Uryuu whirled through his pair of opponents like a kestrel among ducks. He was fast and clever, and they couldn't hope to catch him.

Ichigo turned again, preparing to jump, and froze. The other girl—not the one who had attacked him before, but the one who had held back—was standing there, watching him with her head tilted to one side. Her eyes were distant and somewhat vague, but there was something bright and razor-sharp behind the fog. Ichigo recognized that look, after living with Uryuu for so long. She was a precog, and not one with just a trifling gift, like Uryuu's usually was. Ichigo was willing to bet that she was a full-fledged foreteller.

"Oh, that's very clever," she said, suddenly enough to startle him. "You're very clever with words, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked at her dumbly.

She blinked back at him. "You mean…you didn't just say something about precogs and fighting?" She didn't even wait for Ichigo to shake his head, as he was about to, but sighed. "Oh, wonderful, I'm doing it again. I'm sorry. What's your name? Ichigo? That's a pretty—oomph!"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo dropped back to the floor as she slumped, clutching her stomach. His kick, delivered unexpectedly as he reappeared from not-space, had been hard enough to knock the wind from her, but not hard enough to damage. Precogs were delicate when they were using their powers. Even a little pain would distract them completely. They also had one crippling weakness when fighting someone who could jump. Not-space was a separate dimension, one that existed only for teleporters. Precogs—even foreseers, the most powerful of the breed—couldn't see into it, since they had no connection to it, and so they couldn't see where Ichigo would emerge or what he would do until the moment he ended a jump. According to Uryuu, it was like a huge hole suddenly opening in the fabric of the future.

"You talk too much," he told the precog girl, then turned to see how Uryuu was doing. Even as he did, though, the second trainee boy crumpled to the ground, dropped by Uryuu's sharp sword-hand blow to the jaw. Uryuu saw Ichigo looking and nodded once, telling him that he was done. Ichigo was about to jump over to him when the door of the training room flew open and a pair of psys entered. Ichigo tensed automatically. These weren't apprentices, but full-fledged Gotei 13 members. They saw the trainees just starting to pull themselves to their feet and stopped dead.

The one on the left, a woman with bobbed brown hair, gaped for a moment, then demanded in a ringing voice, "Renji, Rukia, what the hell is going on here?"

The levitator and the girl Uryuu had been fighting dragged themselves to their feet with a wince and bowed towards the woman who was obviously their mentor. "Sorry, ma'am," the levitator said. "We got carried away."

"I should say so." The man—who, in contrast to his companion, had long white hair—looked around the room. His eyes alighted on Ichigo, then moved to Uryuu, and then settled on the precog girl who still sat wheezing at Ichigo's feet. "Orihime! What's the meaning of this?"

There was a shaken look on the precog's face, and her eyes were wide in shock. "I couldn't see him," she said, and whether it was in answer to the question or simply to herself, Ichigo couldn't tell. "He moved, but I couldn't see him. It was like my eyes just went… blank."

"You two!" the woman barked, and Ichigo started. Uryuu did, too, and they both turned to look at her. She glared back and forth between them. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

A put-upon sigh came from the doorway behind them, and Urahara moved into the room from where he had obviously been watching. "Back off, Kiyone." He glanced around, too, and then raised an eyebrow. "Ichigo?"

"They attacked us first," Ichigo said defensively. "We were just sparring with each other, and they suddenly came after us."

The unknown man turned to look at the other boy Uryuu had been fighting, a blond with a melancholy expression. "Kira?"

He got up, rubbing his jaw. "That's correct, sir. Sorry. Renji felt they were being rude, and we decided it was best to back him up instead of letting him get his butt kicked alone."

The woman, Kiyone, raised a speaking eyebrow. "So instead you joined in and _all_ got your butts kicked? Yeah, I can see how that would be an improvement." She didn't wait for her students to respond, but turned on Urahara. "And you! What the hell are you doing here, Urahara? I thought you avoided Gotei 13 headquarters like it held a herd of ravening, plague-ridden beasts. Why set foot in here now, after all these years?"

Urahara sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, then took a step and disappeared. He reappeared right behind Uryuu, then draped an arm over his shoulders, as he had in the Captain's office, and said, "Kiyone, Juushiro, meet my new students. As you can see, they outclass your students without even trying. And now we're leaving, so please excuse us. Ichigo, take Uryuu and go collect whatever you need from wherever you used to live, then go back to the apartment."

"Wait, Urahara!" That was Captain Byakuya, pushing in behind the two mentors. The look on his face was one hair shy of politely menacing. "You agreed to a training round every day, and a health inspection with the clinic. So keep your word and march that new team of yours to Sickbay."

Urahara swore under his breath, but let go of Uryuu and saluted the Captain. Then he turned to Ichigo. "Belay that, kiddies. Time for physicals. Now march."

If there was one place Ichigo would never again set foot, for any reason, it was the Gotei 13 Sickbay. Memories surged, rising like an overwhelming tide, and Ichigo stiffened under the weight of them.

_Darkness. The sound of crying. Faceless creatures in the shadows. Pain and despair. Utter, absolute despair, with no hope of ever getting free._

_Gee, and I wonder why I don't like doctors._

In the background, he heard the Captain choke sharply, obviously picking up on either Ichigo's thoughts or Uryuu's, but Ichigo didn't give him time to say anything. Instead, he jumped over to Uryuu and grabbed his arm, then jumped them both out of Urahara's reach. When they were steady, he turned to glare at their new mentor.

"Just for future reference, Urahara, _no_ doctors." Ichigo gave him the wintriest smile he could summon when his heart was trying to pound out of his chest, and then jumped. Not-space closed around them like a comforting blanket, and they were gone.

* * *

In the end, they followed Urahara's first orders. After a quick stop at their former apartment to retrieve the few things that were needed—namely, they few leads to Yuzu and Karin, useless and inaccurate as they probably were—they jumped back to his flat.

The moment they landed, Uryuu—in a good gauge of his current mental state—immediately headed for the kitchen and began poking around in the cupboards. It was therapy time, and judging by the look on his face, Ichigo guessed they'd be eating a five-star meal—if Urahara didn't kick them out the moment he returned, of course.

While Uryuu cooked to cope, Ichigo retreated within himself, or jumped. Now wasn't a good time for the latter, though, so he withdrew. Even as Uryuu began pulling out all the pots and pans he could find, Ichigo settled up on the couch with his legs crossed, chin tucked down and elbows on his knees. They were both silent, both scared and unwilling to be the first to speak of it.

After the silence became endless, and seemed too much to bear, Ichigo finally ventured, "Uryuu. Do you think…?" His voice, though quiet, was so startling that it nearly made him jump.

Uryuu stilled, frozen in the act of chopping an onion. His sigh, when it came, was tired—far more tired that it should have been.

"I don't know, Ichigo," he said wearily. "I really don't know. We've had really good luck the past few days. Maybe it's finally running out."

Before Ichigo could answer, the apartment door flew open and hit the wall with a bang. Even as Ichigo leapt to his feet and Uryuu lunged for the knife he had set down, Urahara stalked in, growling under his breath. He saw them—and their reactions—and snorted, then dropped into a chair and began to pull off his boots.

"Whatever you two were thinking about, you've got Byakuya clammed up as tight as a safe," he said gruffly. "Took an hour to get a coherent sentence out of him after you two left. Just kept muttering about the faces in the darkness. Damned if I know what he meant."

Inwardly, Ichigo winced. They had been shielding, but even the strongest shields were worthless when assaulted from the _inside_. Uryuu wore a similar expression, though, so Ichigo was guessing he hadn't been the only one to let his defenses down.

"Is he all right?" Uryuu asked, clearing his throat.

Urahara looked at them narrowly. "Do you really care?" Then he sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. Are you two going to skip out now, or will you stick around a while longer?"

Uryuu stood where he was a moment longer, then turned back to the cutting board. His voice was short, sharp, which Ichigo knew meant he was hiding his feelings. Uryuu wasn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve.

"Why? You want us to get out of your life?"

"Do you want to leave?" Urahara didn't look at Uryuu, either, but turned away, removing his hat and hanging it almost reverently on a hook.

And at that, Ichigo couldn't stand it anymore. It was all too much. _They_ were too much. With a growl, he grabbed two books from the shelf behind the couch and just chucked them as hard as he could. Uryuu yelped and jerked his arms up, his field flickering to life just in time to stop the projectile. Urahara saw his coming out of the corner of his eye and dove to the side with a sound of surprise, but he was a moment too late. The book clipped him in the side of the head, a bit higher than Ichigo had been aiming for. Ichigo didn't care, though, crossing his arms and glaring equally at both of them.

"Oh, get a life," he snapped as they both stared at him like he had lost his mind. "If you've got something to say, _say it_! Stop avoiding the issue and speak clearly! Fuck, what the hell is it with you guys and your emotions?" He let out a growl of disgust, and then rounded on their would-be mentor. "Urahara!"

He flinched slightly. "Yes?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't cower like that; it's demeaning. Do you want us to stay here or not?"

"I do." His voice was wary, but he pulled himself up and back onto the chair.

"Good." Ichigo turned on Uryuu. "Oh, stand up. I'm not going to eat you. Do you want to stay? Answer in _one word_ , Uryuu, I warn you. I am _not_ in the mood."

He blinked for a moment and paled. "Yes."

"There. Problem solved." Ichigo smiled between them, teeth bared. "Was that so hard?"

A ripple of bright laughter came from the still partly open doorway, and ICHIGO looked over to see a young, purple-haired psy woman standing there, leaning against the frame. She grinned at Ichigo, wickedly. "Oh, little teleporter, I think we'll get along _splendidly_. Kisuke, I'm borrowing him for a while. Make do. Kurosaki, follow me."

Mystified, but seeing no reason why he shouldn't, Ichigo stuffed his feet into his shoes and followed her out the door. She shut it behind her and paused, ear close to the panel. Her golden eyes were as wicked as her grin as she beckoned Ichigo to her side.

There was a moment of silence from inside the room, and then Urahara said in a stunned voice, "Dear gods of old, that's one scary little redhead. He's a _monster_."

"Wait until you see him snap. That's even scarier." That was Uryuu, and he even _sounded_ pale. "You haven't seen even a bit of what Ichigo's capable of yet."

Ichigo eyed the door, half-tempted to march right back in there and show them just how scary he could be, but the woman grabbed his wrist and shook her head, obviously aware of what he was thinking. Whether that was because of a telepathic Talent or just because she understood the urge, Ichigo couldn't have said.

"Better not," she murmured quietly, an impish grin just barely contained. "You'll want to keep them on their toes. Best way to do that is to never give your secrets away." She cast a quick glance at the door, and then asked, "Can you jump us down to the street? We'll have a bit more privacy if we're in a crowd."

Still mystified, Ichigo took her proffered hand and did as she asked, surprised to find that, like Urahara, she took almost no effort to jump. He was beginning to wonder if it was true, that the weight of a person's Talent was what made them hard to jump. He had never jumped many people besides Uryuu, and now he was starting to wonder if it was actually the reverse of what he had been told before.

As they landed, he let go of the woman and stepped back. "Are you all right?" Most people, after jumping for the first time, would be disoriented and unbalanced for a few minutes.

"Hmm?" Bright-eyed, the woman glanced at him. "Oh, of course! I've jumped plenty of times with Kisuke before, though your negative space is a bit different than his. I'm Yoruichi, by the way. Yoruichi Shihoin. Officially, I'm a freelancer for Soul Society. Unofficially, I'm Kisuke's babysitter. Every few months I dust him off, stuff him in a uniform, and let the 'hero of Soul Society' parade around a bit in front of the board of directors so they keep paying all of us peons." She smiled at Ichigo and took his arm. "And I've been dying to meet his new trainee! Kisuke always had a thing against taking in strays, so it's nice to be able to laugh at him now. Say, how'd you like to come shopping with me? I'm betting Kisuke's niece picked those out. She's a bit odd. Wouldn't normal clothes be nice?"

"Ah…" Ichigo blinked, trying to catalogue the rapid flow of words. "But…I don't have any money."

"Oh, right! That reminds me!" Yoruichi fished around in her purse for a moment, then pulled out a thin silver band. "Byakuya wanted me to give you this. It's your account band as a Gotei 13 trainee. They've already deposited the money. There's another here for your friend, but we can give that to him later."

Ichigo took the bracelet and pushed the button for account information. It scrolled across the silver bar, and he felt his head spin slightly at the amount. "Does that say what I think it does?"

Yoruichi laughed and hooked their elbows together again. "Yep. That's starting salary for a trainee in the First Division. We're elite, after all. So, what do you say? Feel like hitting the town with me?"

Ichigo looked at her, at the sincere good nature she had bubbling over, and was lost. This person was a lifesaver. After the last few days of dealing only with uptight, dutiful hardasses (Captain Byakuya) and strange, mercurial old men (Urahara—and Uryuu, too, sometimes), Yoruichi was something different, something new.

She seemed so much like their old caretaker—like Masaki Kurosaki, who had been the only mother he and Uryuu had ever known—that it was hard not to care for his instantly, and want to make her happy.

"Sure," he said, gripping her arm and smiling faintly. "Why not?"

"Then we're off." Yoruichi smiled back and began to pull him along the street. "There's a tram station right near here. We can take that down to the city center. A new boutique just opened up and I've been _dying_ to see what it's like. And now I finally have someone to go with! There's nothing as depressing as shopping for clothes by yourself."

Ichigo was content just to listen to her chatter as they vanished into the crowd.

* * *

They were sitting at a small café in the lower half of the shopping district. Yoruichi had insisted they stop and have a late lunch before heading back to Urahara's place. By the time she was done dragging Ichigo through practically every store in the district, he wasn't in a hurry to argue with the thought of food. Humoring her had its limits.

Yoruichi waved a spoon at him. "Oh, come on. You've got a great body. You should show it off." She paused to flick an appreciative glance at a group of guys who were taking in the scenery—and kept sneaking looks over at her. Ichigo thought of Uryuu and his somewhat brusque affection, of the way they'd been together all their lives and through more most couples could even dream of, and wondered how he could put that into words Yoruichi would understand. "You're a healthy teenage boy. You should—"

Thankfully, Ichigo never got to hear what he should do. A beeper went off on Yoruichi's belt, and she grabbed for it so fast that Ichigo barely saw her hand move. By the time he had opened his mouth to ask what was up, she was on her feet, throwing her many bags—none of them Ichigo's, despite her best efforts to dress him like a doll—at the nearest porter.

"Take those to Kisuke Urahara's place," she ordered. "It's 843 Aspen Street, in the Northern District. Ichigo, we've got to go."

He got to his feet, too. "What's going on?"

She dragged him towards a cleared space among the tables. "Gotei 13 alarm. Hostage situation, politically motivated. Ever been to the Senzaikyū?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out why she wanted to know. Ichigo nodded and stepped close to her, hooking an arm around her waist. "Should we stop at Urahara's first?"

Yoruichi shook her head. "No. Kisuke will come, and he'll bring your friend with him. I know him well enough. He hates kidnappers. Just get us there in one piece and it'll all be good."

"Right." Ichigo took a deep breath, called up the power, and jumped.

They emerged in the center of a bustling square—but instead of bustling with civilians, it was bustling with Gotei 13 and Soul Society officers. Captain Kuchiki stood in the center of a knot of black-uniformed figures, shouting orders. Yoruichi disentangled herself from Ichigo and headed over. Uncertain of what else to do, he followed.

"Byakuya, what's up?" Yoruichi slid neatly into a spot next to the Captain's right hand.

"Shihoin." Byakuya sounded relieved. He spotted Ichigo and nodded. "And Kurosaki. Good. Is Urahara—?"

"Here." He pushed past a group of adjutants, Uryuu behind him. "What's the situation?"

"It's Las Noches again," the Captain said grimly. "They've taken Representative Kojima's son, and are saying that unless all of Soul Society's officials surrender, they're going to kill him. They're holed up on the top floor. Urahara, have you ever been up there?"

Urahara shook his head. "No. That spot's reserved for the highest-ranking officials. They'd never invite a lowly law enforcement officer like me up there."

The Captain sighed and obviously resisted the urge to rub his eyes. "Wonderful. And we can't get Kenpachi or someone to just blow a hole in the wall, since there's a null up there, too."

Yoruichi winced, and Ichigo knew why. Nulls were psys with the power to cancel out the abilities of most other psys. Any direct, physical attacks—and even those not so physical, like a telepath's Talent—would be useless. The null would just counteract anything that was sent at them.

But things that weren't so overt often could get right past a null's defenses. Ichigo looked across the small group at Uryuu, and he met Ichigo's eyes. There was no need for anything else.

"You need to get up there and get the hostage away?" Ichigo asked, making them all turn to stare at him. Byakuya looked faintly confused, but nodded.

"Yes," he said. "And, in a perfect world, we would get the kidnappers, too, to make sure that none of them escaped. But—"

Uryuu and Ichigo didn't wait around to hear the rest. They ran for the base of the building, and Uryuu went down on one knee in front of it. The Senzaikyū was a lot bigger than the museum, and he could hurt himself if he passed out on his feet.

"You can do this?" Ichigo asked, kneeling next to him.

Uryuu put one hand flat on the wall and held his other out. "Of course. Will _you_ be all right? You jumped a lot the other night, and then again just now."

"I'm fine." Ichigo slipped his hand into Uryuu's, and the world around them rippled. They flashed past the first floors, then into an elevator shaft and straight up, emerging in a dark hallway. Uryuu pulled them right past the closed door at the end, into the room where an inaudible hum—only perceptible to psys—signaled minds at work.

 _Here we are_ , Uryuu told him, as the world shifted into a three-sixty view. _Four knifemen, one null, and a hostage. Want anything else while you're at it?_

"How about the null's head on a platter?" Ichigo suggested, feeling the quiet amusement that vibrated through him. They both had a problem with nulls.

"Ichigo! Uryuu!" Urahara's irritated voice snapped Ichigo out of the view, and he felt Uryuu falter. The image vanished, and they both looked up as a shadow fell on them. Urahara frowned, fan fluttering madly. "What in the name of all things holy are you doing?"

Ichigo stood, making him take a step back, and looked down at Uryuu. "Are you all right?"

He silently waved a hand, but stayed where he was. His skin was pale, too, even paler than normal, but he just nodded and ordered, "Go get them, Ichigo."

Ichigo grinned at him, a brief flash of teeth. "Right. Thanks, Uryuu." And he jumped.

The soft _whump_ of displaced air that was created as he emerged was enough to draw every eye to him, but Ichigo didn't give them time to even see him. Even before he landed, he hooked a hand around the hostage boy's bonds and his guard's shirt collar and jumped again. In the end, Ichigo had been in the room for maybe two seconds altogether.

They reappeared from not-space right where Ichigo had been standing before, and he let the boy fall into Urahara's arms. The knifeman got dropped to the concrete. "Uryuu?"

With his hand still flat on the wall, Uryuu nodded. "The one in the southeast corner moved six steps towards the center of the room."

"Great. Be right back," Ichigo told him, and jumped again. Like before, he only stayed in the room long enough to grab his victim before teleporting right back outside again. He dropped the knifeman while he was still in the air and went back for the other two, who were standing back to back. They made perfect targets like that, and Ichigo hooked them with an arm around each neck and jumped back down to the square, dumping them at the Captain's feet. But his head was beginning to swim, and he staggered a step before he could catch his balance.

"Ichigo, stop this!" That was Urahara, and he sounded one step shy of alarmed. "You'll kill yourself if you keep jumping like this! They're not even psys!"

 _So I was right the second time_ , Ichigo thought distantly. _It's easier to jump psys than norms. Well, there goes the Institute's credibility._

"There's only one more," Ichigo said out loud. "Don't worry. I'm fine. Just take care of the girl." He looked past Urahara, at Uryuu. "Did the null move?"

His eyes were closed, but he nodded again. "Yes. She's worried now, since all of her men are gone and the boy is, too. She's heading out into the hallway now, to try to get to the roof." Uryuu's eyes flew open suddenly, and they were wide. He turned to Ichigo, and a nearly frantic note entered his voice. "Ichigo, stop her! She knows something important. Something about a twin girls who can control the weather."

Ichigo felt all the breath leave his lungs in a rush, and he staggered. He would have fallen, too, if Yoruichi hadn't grabbed his shoulder. "What?"

"She's heading for the roof," Uryuu said, and his eyes were distant again, watching the man. He reached out and grabbed Ichigo's hand, and he was thrown headlong into the vision of what Uryuu saw. "Go, Ichigo!"

Ichigo didn't hesitate, but jumped. The world disappeared around him, becoming not-space, and then not-space faded, too. He emerged on the wide, flat rooftop, right as the null opened the door and stumbled out into the open area. She saw him and recoiled, but Ichigo jumped in front of her and clamped his fingers around her wrist.

"What do you know?" he demanded, jerking her closer. "What do you know about two psys who can control weather?"

Ichigo had shocked her. The woman's mouth fell open, and she spluttered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Listen here," Ichigo growled, jerking her even closer. "I'm not with Soul Society. I might look like it, but I have no ties to them. I haven't taken their oath to protect all life, no matter what. So if I drop you off the side of this building, I won't lose any sleep. Do you get me? Now _talk_!"

The null's eyes had gone wider than he thought possible, and she was shaking. "Gods, don't kill me! I don't know anything! Aizen just said that he'd finally found a use for these psys he'd had been keeping for years, and that the time was coming to put them to work! I swear, I don't know anything more than that!"

"You know more than enough," he spat, and jumped them back down to the square. Not-space was trembling by now, and Ichigo was having trouble breathing, but he got them safely down without dropping the null into nothingness—not that it would have been a great loss. As soon as they touched down, though, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, trying to draw some air back into his lungs.

"Ichigo!" There were three voices now, all of them concerned, but Ichigo didn't hear the one he needed most. He managed to crack open his eyes and look up, and there was the one face he wanted to see more than anything.

"Uryuu," Ichigo whispered, lifting a hand. Uryuu gripped it tightly in return, not speaking. His face was still pale, but there was a light in his blue eyes that Ichigo hadn't seen in a long, long time. Ichigo could feel it in himself, too.

"We've found them," Ichigo whispered, and as soon as he said it, he knew it was true. "We've finally found Yuzu and Karin. After so long, they're close. We've found them."

Uryuu leaned forward, resting his forehead against their entwined hands. "Yes," he said. "We have."

Urahara and Yoruichi looked down at them, and Byakuya stood a few paces off, watching and waiting. Ichigo could almost _hear_ them caring. He and Uryuu weren't alone anymore. They would have help taking down Aizen and Las Noches and rescuing Karin and Yuzu.

The future was looking brighter than it ever had before.


End file.
